The inauguration of one of the largest churches in the Middle East, on the banks of the River Jordan, brought Christians together in prayers for peace. The ceremony to officially open the Church of the Baptism of Christ last month was broadcast on SAT-7 ARABIC programme Good Morning Beirut. Father Dr Rifaat Bader, Director of the Catholic Center for Studies […]
As the International Day of Families was marked on 15 May, we consider how high divorce rates are affecting people in the Arab world and how SAT-7 is using its programming and Viewer Support teams to encourage godly relationships. RELATIONSHIP BREAKDOWN According to a recent study, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar – four of the MENA countries where SAT-7 broadcasts […]
Freedom and security seem ever more elusive in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This month, we bring you various reports on religious freedom, women’s rights and press freedom, as well as more hopeful news from Syria. Freedom of religion and of belief is “being challenged more and more” around the world, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom […]
A year on from the two devastating earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria, the repercussions are still being felt for many people who live in the two countries. Elsewhere, the new World Watch List highlights the dangers facing Christians the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and conflict in the Holy Land continues to deepen, bringing stronger calls from international […]
The Middle East and North Africa begins the new year dominated by the war in Gaza and an under-reported conflict in Sudan. The Gaza Strip has been devastated by over 100 days of war with Israel. A displaced and starving population has been squeezed into ever smaller pockets of land while fighting between Hamas and Israeli forces intensifies. In Sudan, […]
Protests in Iran have entered a fourth week. The country is still raging over the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini who was detained for incorrectly wearing the hijab. Since then, young women who courageously removed and set fire to their headscarves have inspired protests in many parts of the country, uniting people of diverse religious, ethnic and cultural […]
11 October 2022 “We want to target the ‘everywoman’ – those who are somehow entrapped and confined,” says Maggie Morgan, producer and director of SAT-7’s new live programme Today not Tomorrow, which will be broadcast on SAT-7 ARABIC this month. “Whether confinement is literal, for those living in small villages, in their families’ homes, who have limited freedom of movement, […]
The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll led the news in many Middle East states last weekend and prompted messages of condolence from national leaders. Jordan and Lebanon respectively declared seven and three days of mourning. The patriarch of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Christians, Pope Tawadros ll, led Christian tributes when he said he was “personally thankful for the interaction […]
Tensions with Iran are producing unlikely alliances in the Middle East, while the importance of religious freedom was highlighted this month at a major international conference in London. Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) was a major focus this month when nearly 700 politicians, faith leaders and activists from over 100 countries gathered in London for the fourth International Ministerial […]
This Easter, three Abrahamic faiths overlapped in celebrations of Ramadan, Passover and Easter. Different religious calendars aligned, and shared roots, lands and heritages became clear. Yet, the same week saw a fresh cycle of violence on the Temple Mount and Al-Azhar compound in Jerusalem. Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli police clashed in scenes that saw rocks thrown at Jewish worshippers from […]